Makoko (pictured below) is an informal settlement situated on a lagoon east of Lagos. It is known for its stilt housing and is home to around approximately 100,000 people, although estimates range between 85,000 and 250,000 people as precise figures are difficult to obtain due to the informal nature of the settlement and the lack of official census data. 75% of households live in one room, and only 10% have piped water, with 55% using a well or borehole to attain water. Most households use either a pit latrine (where sewage soaks straight into the ground) or a pail latrine (where sewage is poured into a drain or river) so disease risk is high due to the lack of sanitation.

Makoko is close to the hub of the city's oil industry which is potential source of employment for those who move there. The settlement has spread from the mainland into the lagoon itself, but growth is unplanned and uncontrolled which makes it very difficult for the government to plan improvements within Makoko to provide access to basic services such as water, sanitation systems (to deal with sewage) and electricity. Providing healthcare and education to the growing population is also very difficult.

Challenges in Makoko

Social

• Inadequate healthcare means that education around family planning is lacking, so fertility rates in Makoko are high - this leads to a constantly increasing population which is hard to provide services for
• Incidence of untreated disease have increased the infant mortality rate in Makoko and lave lowered life expectancy
• Most families can't afford to send their children to school - less than 10% of Makoko's population attend primary school
• The physical geography of Makoko makes it hard to police the settlement and corruption is widespread - the area is controlled by 'Area Boys' who are organised gangs of street children and youths known to engage in hustling, informal security and sometimes drug dealing and extortion
• Family sizes in Makoko are large which makes it hard to provide adequate food for all children in the family so levels of malnourishment here are high

Economic

• The government would like to use the waterfront location of Makoko for businesses, homes and services for the more affluent residents of Lagos
• The government have suggested that Makoko should be demolished and turned into a waterfront attraction
• Most people work in the informal sector in Makoko, and very few continue into further education
• Because most people work in the informal sector very little tax is generated to invest into essential services

Environmental

• The lagoon is full of sewage due to the lack of sanitation - this affects marine wildlife and also causes waterborne diseases such as cholera
• The waters here are highly polluted both from sewage and as a waste dump for the city - this has caused the fish population to decline significantly (it also means that fishing is hazardous and unproductive, impacting people's health and income)

Makoko Floating School

Makoko Floating School (pictured below) was an innovative architectural project of half-building, half-boat designed to address both climate change challenges and infrastructure needs in low-income, water-bound communities. It is an example of a 'bottom-up' approach to improving life for the urban poor, and was designed to give residents of all ages the chance of an education

The aim of the project was to provide sustainable, adaptable educational buildings for areas prone to flooding, which could be copied along the coast. Unskilled workers were hired to build the Makoko Floating School, with the aim that they would then go and build their own homes using the techniques learned whilst building the school. The idea was that because the local community had built it, they would understand its true value. It served as a model of how to build prospering communities on the water.

Initially it was a great success - Makoko's residents felt a great sense of ownership and it became a meeting point for the community, those with market stalls parked their boats there and fishermen shaded from the sun whilst they were mending their nets.

Features of the build:

• A triangular A-frame structure, approximately 10 meters high
• Built on a floating platform of 256 recycled plastic barrels
• Made with locally-sourced wood and other affordable materials
• Three levels: a play area, a classroom for 60 pupils, and a semi-enclosed space for workshops or meetings
• Self-sufficient with solar panels, rainwater collection systems, and composting toilets

Impact and legacy:

• The floating school was celebrated as a symbol of resilience, sustainable design, and innovation
• Led to future floating prototypes and influenced disaster-resilient architecture
• However, after three years of exposure to the elements and limited maintenance, the building's structural integrity deteriorated and the building was abandoned, raising questions about long-term viability and maintenance (as seen in the image below)
• Heavy rains in June 2016 caused the already weakened structure to collapse
• There are plans to redesign and rebuild the school to make it more structurally sound so it can last 25 years